From actor and singer to active philanthropist, Holly Robinson Peete is the epitome of a ModernMom. We were beyond excited at the opportunity to interview the beautiful and talented mommy of four, and learn more about the journey that brought her to where she is today!
Holly’s gig as a co-host on the CBS show "The Talk" certainly keeps her busy, but she always finds room in her packed schedule to dedicate time to her various philanthropic organizations. In 1996, Holly and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, formed the HollyRod Foundation. “My dad had Parkinson’s disease,” Holly explained. She noticed that many of the patients who were fighting the same battle lacked health insurance, making their fight an even more difficult one. When her eldest son was diagnosed with autism, Holly and Rodney expanded the HollyRod mission statement, providing resources that would also help families affected by autism.
We asked Holly to offer her strongest piece of advice to mothers with autistic children. Immediately, without a moment’s hesitation, Holly responded, “Move to your next step, get out of denial.” Her voice was filled with warmth and understanding as she went on to explain that it is perfectly normal to feel denial and even admitted feeling it herself, but said that in order to really help your child you have to quickly move on from it. “You’re your child’s best advocate. Roll up your sleeves and do whatever you can for your kid.”
If we weren’t already impressed enough with her passion for helping others, Holly told us about Dey Pharama – an organization she is working with to raise awareness about life-threatening allergic reactions, also known as anaphylaxis. “I have kids with serious allergies,” she tells ModernMom. After having to rush her son to the hospital due to his peanut allergy, Holly says she became determined to spread awareness around the community about the EpiPen. Learn more about Dey Pharma and the EpiPen here.
Here at ModernMom, we’ve been big fans of Holly for years… since 1987 to be exact, when she played Officer Judy Hoffs alongside Johnny Depp on the hit TV series 21 Jump Street! “We hear that you are making an appearance in the new movie 21 Jump Street based on the character you played on the original show.” With an unmistakable sense of excitement in her voice, Holly laughed, “Well, don’t blink! You might miss me!” When asked what 21 Jump street meant to her, she replied, “[It was the] start to my career and I’ll always be grateful.”
Philanthropist, Hollywood star, singer…and a Sarah Lawrence college graduate. Beauty and brains! It seems like there isn’t anything in the world that Holly can’t do. When asked how she stays on top of everything she admitted,” I don’t! I drop balls all the time!” With all that she has accomplished, it certainly doesn’t seem so. What is her secret? “I try and cut myself some slack. It’s important to take a break. There’s no such thing as a perfect balance.” We couldn’t agree more!
By the end of our interview, we had completely fallen in love with this super mom. And we were overjoyed to hear that the love was mutual! "I love the brand!" Holly gushed about the ModernMom website, telling us that she tries to check it everyday. Thanks for the ModernMom love!
